University of Calgary - Spyhill Campus Master Plan

University of Calgary - Spyhill Master Plan

Client City of Calgary | Location Calgary, AB | Completion 2015

The plan incorporates a number of elements from the initial master plan document that was prepared alongside the development of the Clinical Skills Building (CSB). Among these is a desire to incorporate unique landscape features that bring a sense of place and a 'heart' to the site. The focus of this will be an academic quad that serves to both to provide a structure that will connect and inform the placement of future buildings, and act as an important gathering space befitting of a university campus.

The Spy Hill plan establishes a strategy for expanding the Clinical Skills Building to incorporate additional office and teaching areas, multipurpose classroom areas, enhanced animal support facilities, and new amenities for students, faculty, and staff. It will be critical for the CSB to remain current and to keep pace with growth, as it directly supports one of the faculty’s primary missions – the hands-on clinical and diagnostic training that it provides to its students.

A significant need for the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine is for an onsite research building dedicated to Large Animals. The Large Animal Research Centre (LARC) will support research activities that cannot easily be accommodated at the Foothills Campus or with the existing resources at Spy Hill. The LARC will provide research infrastructure that will be used primarily by UCVM faculty and graduate students but will also serve researchers in the faculties of Science, Medicine, Kinesiology and Engineering. The LARC will be a large building with a number of very specific needs related to animal handling and bio-containment. Consideration has to be given to its position relative to the CSB, proximity to landscape areas for pens, ‘back-of-house’ access, and its visibility on the campus.

The plan accommodates the future growth of the High Density Library and the implementation of other University functions that are not explicitly related to the Veterinary Medicine. These include secure storage faculties for use by all UofC departments and faculties who have a need for it.

With growth comes an increased need to expand and enhance existing infrastructure. Space will need to be accommodated for parking, improved roadways, and expansions to the on-site water treatment system. Additionally, a provision must be made for alternative, sustainable modes of transportation that are not currently adequately supported, including public transit, cycling infrastructure, and the potential integration of programs such as car sharing. Critically, improved access to the main and Foothills campuses will provide better opportunities for collaboration and will facilitate stronger connections to the portions of the UCVM program that are located there. Finally, the plan has developed a schematic framework for the complete build-out of the eastern portion campus which extends potentially well beyond the 10-year timeframe.